Christmas Gift
by anniie23
Summary: AU; one-shot. Tony, Ziva and Tali are spending their Sunday morning together a few days before Christmas.


_It's been quite a long time since I published my last one-shot. It's almost Christmas and I've been planning to publish this one since October (I think that's when I finished it) becuase who doesn't need some fluffy Tiva story at this time of the year? :) I certainly do!_  
 _I always try my best but as non-native English speaker I still make mistakes so please, excuse me._  
 _Anyway, I hope you like it!_

* * *

Ziva was standing in front of the big window in her living room watching the snow falling. It was something she always considered beautiful in its own way. She was mesmerized by it since the first time she experienced it during her first year in the United States. That time Ziva was coming back home from work and stopped in the middle of the pavement feeling it falling down on her cheeks. She looked up and saw big grey clouds that the snowflakes were coming from. That was something she always wanted to feel but in her homeland it was hardly possible. Yes, it was sometimes snowing in Israel but the snow wouldn't have lasted too long in her hometown. She was aware that in other cities the climate was a bit different but she'd never spent a day in the winter there. In DC people were crazy about Christmas, wherever she looked she could see Christmas trees and people decorating their homes with fairy lights.

She smiled to herself hearing her daughter running around her trying to collect every toy she left in the living room last night. It was barely eight am but Ziva decided to let it go yesterday when Tali fell asleep watching _Lady and the Tramp_ with her dad by her side. The three of them were too tired to clean it and she promised herself to remind the four-year-old about it the next day. And that's how her little girl ended up like this.

" _Ima_ , snow!" Tali stopped next to her mother, hugging her leg with her small hands.

"Yes, _tateleh_. If it snows enough, you can go build a snowman with your dad," Ziva smiled stroking her daughter's hair with her left hand. "Do you want to?"

" _Abba_?" she asked looking at her mother.

"Yes, Tali, with your _abba_. Do you like snow?"

"It's cold but fun," she giggled squeezing her teddy bear with her left hand. The right one was still clinging on to her mother's leg. " _Abba_ awake?"

"I do not know. Why do you not go and see yourself, huh?"

As soon as Ziva spoke her daughter was gone. This little child had enormous amount of energy which she suspected Tali inherited from her father. Okay, maybe some from her, too. It was she that was going for a run almost every morning since she turned thirteen.

Leaving her empty cup, which she had her tea in a few minutes ago, on a countertop in the kitchen she headed to the bedroom. Ziva knew she would find not only her sleeping husband there but also their baby girl. Well, Tony probably wasn't sleeping anymore considering that Tali would be sitting on his stomach by now trying to wake him up. He would pretend he didn't know she was there and try not to make a move.

She leaned against the doorframe and looked into the bedroom. She didn't want to be seen, not yet anyway, because she loved observing the bond between Tony and Tali. She'd never experienced anything similar, even though her father assured her that when she was a kid their home was filled with children's laughter. They might had been closer back then than when she was ten and older but she didn't really remember being loved. Not being hated, maybe even liked sometimes, yes, for some time, until her mother's or sister's death but no longer.

After Tali crossed her arms on her chest and mumbled something under her breath, Tony stopped pretending to be asleep, moved his hand and started tickling her watching her with only one eye open. She squirmed and tried to run away from him but instead of that he hugged her to himself. At that moment, Ziva wasn't even trying to hide her smile. Why would she? She was ready to admit that she was not only content with her life but also happy. Anytime and to anyone.

"Your mother's watching us," Tony whispered but Ziva could hear him anyway. "Do you think she wants to join us?"

" _Ima_ wants a snowman," Tali said. He wasn't sure if she ignored his question or answered it in her own way.

"A snowman?"

"Well, it is snowing and I thought we could build one in the evening if it snows enough," Ziva smiled entering the room and sitting on the empty side of the bed. "It is Sunday and you are not on call tonight. Oh, and we should probably decorate the Christmas tree today because you are working every day next week and I really want Tali to know all the traditions even though I do not really celebrate it but-"

"Where's _Kelev_?" Tali asked, interrupting her mother, as if she reminded herself something important.

"I think you left it on the couch, sweetheart," Ziva looked at her daughter stroking her hair at the same time. "I bet he is waiting for you there."

The four-year-old left her father's side quickly and ran to check the place her mother told her to. Ziva hoping their daughter would occupy herself for a while took her place and laid down next to Tony. She put her right hand on his chest and started to caress it with her fingers.

"You okay?"

"Uh-huh," she mumbled into his collarbone. "Everything is fine."

"You look happy."

"I am."

"It's just, I don't know, you seem different. I mean in a good way but… Has something happened? Does it have something in common with our evening that you planned? Just the three of us?"

"Four," Ziva smiled hiding her face in his chest at the same time.

"Please, don't tell me my father decided to visit early this year," he sighed covering his eyes with his free hand. "I know he loves Tali and I don't mind him being here so often but I really hoped for some time alone with you and-"

"That is not what I meant, Tony," she smiled even wider seeing how his face changed from confused to surprised.

"Oh. Oh! Wait, are you telling me that there's going to be a mini-Tali soon?"

"I am, daddy," she chuckled, nodding her head lightly. "It is still early but-"

Before she realised what was happening, Tony leaned down and kissed her cupping both her cheeks in his hands. She could feel him smiling all that time.

"Merry Christmas, Tony."

"Best one I've ever had, Zi."

* * *

 _A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you spend it with your loved ones :)_


End file.
